The Kentucky Horse Council’s three-day Large Animal Emergency Rescue (LAER) training is slated to return to the Kentucky Horse Park on Sept. 23-25, 2022.

LAER is taught by Justin and Tori McLeod of 4Hooves Large Animal Services, LLC, a North Carolina-based company that specialized in large animal technical rescue emergency response and training for emergency responders and veterinary professionals. The course is geared specifically toward veterinarians, emergency responders and animal control officers, but horse owners and industry professionals will also find the course beneficial in learning how to care for and extract equines in potentially hazardous situations while remaining safe.

The course will cover topics like animal behavior; handling and restraint; containment; motor vehicle accidents and overturned trailers; entrapments; barn fires and wildfires; unstable ground incidents (mud, ditch, ice, etc.); water rescues; natural disaster preparation and response; hazardous materials decontamination and more. Specialized instruction will be given to participants based on their background and auditors are welcome.

Jennifer Halsey of Scott County, KY, has a Tennessee Walking Horse named Todd who directly benefited from the training first responders receive. Todd became mired in mud in late February 2022, and rapidly became hypothermic and exhausted. The Scott County Fire Department responded to Halsey’s call and created an A-frame and harness to lift Todd onto a large-animal skid. He was then pulled into the barn and out of the rain to receive veterinary care from Park Equine Hospital. Todd recovered uneventfully.

“The Large Animal Emergency Rescue training has proven to be a great learning experience for all veterinarians, whether they’re recent graduates or seasoned practitioners. This course is an excellent opportunity for veterinarians, volunteers and first responders to receive in-depth, technical training on how to safely handle emergency situations in which they may be asked to work together,” says Dr. Rocky Mason, owner of Lexington Equine Medical Group and head of the Kentucky Horse Council Health and Welfare committee. “This program also explains practical situational preparedness and awareness – both of which are key for a favorable outcome for the animal involved while keeping everyone safe.”

Continuing education credits for veterinarians are available through the American Association of Veterinary State Boards. Sponsorship opportunities are available here. For more information, click here or contact the Kentucky Horse Council at 859-367-0509 or info@kentuckyhorse.org

To learn more about 4Hooves Large Animal Services at 4hoovessmart.com.